For The Love Of Treasure

Hawk stared down at the map splayed out on the wooden table. Water surrounded him with no land in sight. His humble crew of old broken-down pirates was starting to get grumpy. He had to do something, he just didn’t know what.

This stupid magic dust the witch gave him was absolutely useless. It hadn’t led him to any treasure, only death in the middle of the ocean. His stomach grumbled, reminding him once again how little he ate the last two days. They couldn’t go on like this much longer.

He stared down at the map. The island should be right here, but yet he could see nothing, not even a speck of dry land. Clutching the bottle of magic dust, he sent a silent plea to the fairy gods before uncorking the bottle and sprinkling a little on the map.

The door to his cabin burst open, and a breathless Catalina rushed inside. “They found us, and they're closing fast!”

“How did they found us so fast?” He rolled up the map and tucked it safely in a drawer before following Catalina outside.

She handed him the spyglass and pointed off into the distance. There it was, The Gold Finder, maned by a nasty crew of pirates and captained by Seadog, his former captain. He imagined the old pirate wasn’t too happy when he found out Hawk stole the map. He should have covered his tracks better.

“Get the cannons ready, we may not be able to outrun them, and I don’t want to take them anywhere close to the island.”

“What island?” Catalina scoffed but hurried to do as he commanded.

Hawk looked down at the bottle in his hand. If only the magic dust could make a ship disappear. He blew out a breath and took his place at the helm. He didn’t want to fight. His rag-tag group of misfit pirates were too old to win, but he couldn’t just give up either. There was no telling what Captain Seadog would do if he caught him.

The wind picked up, catching the sails and sending them forward at a nice pace. Maybe they still had a chance to outrun the bigger ship. Catalina returned and took her spot at his side. “Are the Cannons ready?”

“Aye captain. The cannons and the men are ready.” Catalina’s fingers wrapped around the hilt of her sword as she glared at the approaching ship.

Hawk looked out at his crew, then off into the distance at the pirate ship pursuing them. Twelve men to a hundred, not very good odds. If they lost the wind they would most likely loss their lives.

Suddenly he remembered something the witch said about seeing things only in the dark. “I have to look at something.” He rushed into his cabin and unrolled the map.

The magic dust finally did its job. The island was visible on the map, and they were sailing right towards it. Another hour and darkness would surround them. He just had to outrun the other ship a little longer.

Hawk scrambled out of his cabin and up on deck. “Turn to port thirty degrees.”

The man at the helm drew his brows together but changed course to the new heading. Hawk made his way to the stern to stand beside the man.

“We be gaining distance on the other ship cap'n,” A voice yelled down from the crows nest.

Hawk looked through the spyglass and sighed. One disaster averted, for now. “Stay on this course till the sun dips down, then resume our previous heading.”

“Aye aye, cap'n.”

With the situation under control, he grabbed Catalina’s hand and headed back to his cabin. Once safely inside, he told her what he was thinking. “The island is only visible in darkness, which means we can only see it at night. We have to be close enough to be inside whatever magic surrounds it and keeps it hidden.”

Catalina frowned. “I don’t know about this, Hawk. It seems way more dangerous than any of our other adventures. What if we get inside this… this magical protection and can’t get back out?”

Hawk bit his bottom lip. She was right of course, it was dangerous, but he really had no choice. “We have to take that chance. If we don’t, Captain Seadog will catch us, and I don’t want to think about what would happen to us if he did.”

She nodded her head. “I’ll inform the crew we should be making landfall sometime tonight.” Spinning on her heels, she dashed out the door, slamming it closed behind her.

When the sun dipped low, streaking the sky with a beautiful array of orange and pink, Hawk came out of his cabin to direct his crew. He only hoped he was right about the darkness allowing them to see the island.

He carried the map in his left hand and a compass in his right. The older pirates eyed him suspiciously as his boots clicked against the wooden deck. Most of them didn’t know about the lost island, they only knew they were going after treasure. He wondered how many of them would have agreed to come along if they knew where they were headed.

Hawk directed the pirate at the helm to change his heading just enough so they would head straight for the island, if it was real. With his heart pounding in his chest, he waited. The ship creaked and moaned as it glided through the water. An unnatural fog settled over the ship, causing the men to fidget and worry.

The moon hid behind dark clouds, plunging the world around them into total darkness. A shiver ran down Hawks spine as he desperately tried to see in the pitch black. His whole body tingled, and he dropped the compass. By sheer willpower, he managed to keep a firm hold on the map. If he lost it they would never find the treasure.

The tingling got worse as the ship inched forward. Several men were grunting and cursing. Hawk ground his teeth together as the tingling became painful. He gasped as a sharp pain rippled through him, and he struggled to stay standing. A moment later, it was gone. The clouds parted, and the sky brightened, chasing away the terrifying blackness.

The men gasped and pointed. Hawk spun around only to let out a gasp of his own. The island! It was real. The magical veil surrounding the island shimmered as the boat finished passing through. He just hoped the crew of The Gold Finder didn’t see them disappear and come investigating.

Excitement bubbled inside him as the little rowboat floated through the water, carrying the men to shore. The sun glistened off the white sand like diamonds, and the clear blue water was breathtaking. Green covered most of the landscape, dotted here and there with brown patches of dirt and yellow fruit hanging from trees. The island was mesmerizing.

He reigned in his thoughts and took a firmer grip on the map when one of the men jumped out of the small boat and dragged it up onshore. Now was not the time to be admiring the scenery. “Search the area.” His voice bellowed out.

When most of the pirates had wandered away in search of the treasure, Catalina approached him. “I don’t like this Hawk. Som'ins not right.”

He felt it too. An uneasiness settled over him the moment he stepped foot on land. “Maybe I should have left you behind. It’s bad luck to have a woman on board, you know.”

Catalina snorted and walked away, grumbling to herself as she slashed at the thick underbrush. Even though she was a woman, he trusted her more than any of the men under his command. He could never leave her behind.

With everyone preoccupied, he opened up the map and spread it out on a large rock. The shade from the tall tree was a welcoming comfort with the sun beating down mercilessly. He drew in a deep breath and blew it out before taking a pinch of fairy dust and sprinkling the map with it. A few minutes later, a dotted line appeared leading to an X. A smile spread across his face. The treasure would be his.

A scream pierced the air from further down the beach. He jumped up and grabbed the map, rolling it up as he ran towards the commotion. One man lay on the ground unmoving while several others surrounded him.

“What happened?” He knelt beside the man and shook his head. He was dead, but there was no outward appearance of a wound.

“We was searching like you said. Then he screamed. When we got here, he was laying there, staring at the sky.” The tall man backed away from the dead pirate, his eyes roamed the trees in front of him.

“I told you som’in didn’t feel right.” Catalina’s eyes darted up and down the tree line, her sword at the ready. “This island is cursed!”

A murmur rose from the men as they drew their swords, following Catalina’s lead. Seconds later, the man closest to the rowboat dropped dead. An overwhelming feeling of dread surged through Hawk. Catalina was right, this place was cursed. Despite the fear that overwhelmed him, he wasn’t leaving without the treasure.

“Stay away from the trees. Get back to the skiff.”

The men didn’t have to be told twice. They walked backward as fast as they could without tripping. “Cap'n you coming?” Catalina's voice penetrated his thoughts.

“Stay with the boat.” He took off running through the trees, his sword drawn and ready. After coming this far, he couldn’t just leave the treasure. Briers tore at his clothes and skin as he ran, he ignored the pricks and trickles of blood. If another person died before he got back, they wouldn’t hesitate to leave him behind.

He rushed out into an open area and stopped to catch his breath in front of an old rock building. Trees and bushed grew up around it, almost concealing the doorway. He hacked away at the vines snaking around the opening and entered the dark structure.

He grabbed the torch that hung on his right and added a pinch of fairy dust. Seconds later, it burst into flame, illuminating the small area. Against the left wall was a chair made from rock. The light reflected off the red and green gems that decorated it. In the corner sat what used to be a wooden table. One leg was completely gone, and another was busted, leaving the table a crumpled pile of wood in the corner.

His eyes settled on the only thing he was looking for. Against the back wall sat the large wooden chest. His hand trembled as he stretched out towards the wooden box, brushing his fingers lightly across the surface. He swallowed the lump in his throat and took a firm grasp on the latch. With his heart pounding in his chest, he flung open the lid.

Light poured out of the ancient box, forcing him to close his eyes as a wave of pleasure and satisfaction washed over him. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. At that moment, his memory of everything before he touched the chest was gone, wiped from his mind. The only thing he knew was the glimmering diamonds and gold that rested inside the chest. The treasure was the only thing that mattered and the only thing he knew. The island would become his new home and the treasure his new master.